At Norman invasions were incursions that the vikings carried out in the region of the Franks (Friesland and Normandy) and the Saxons (British) from the ninth century. The purpose of these invasions was to carry out the looting and had as their main target the Catholic abbeys. These incursions weakened in the second half of the ninth century and led to the establishment of a Norman kingdom in northern France led by Rollo at 911.
Who were the Normans and where did they come from?
The Normans were named after the way they were called by the Franks: Northman, which in the Frankish language meant “men of the north”. Although they do not know how to differentiate the existing nationalities, historians today know that the Norman invaders from those regions were, in general, Danes, that is, of origin viking.
Viking expeditions were made up not only of members of a single nationality, but of various peoples. So, while the Viking expeditions from the Danes focused, in general, on the Kingdom of the Franks and the Saxons, the
Norwegians they raided Scotland, Ireland and the Atlantic islands. already the swedes headed for Eastern Europe.What is the purpose of the Norman invasions?
The Norman invasions happened because of the withdraw. Vikings formed groups that, on average, had 300 to 400 men with the objective of navigating the coast of the Kingdom of the Franks, or entering the rivers of the region, and attacking any place that appeared to have some kind of income to be quickly looted and transported. Regarding the objectives of the Viking expeditions, Albert D'Haenens states that “the big business of the aggressors was not […] war or land occupation, but the search for cash and booty at the expense of a rich continent, poorly defended and easy to to explore. They disembarked to make a fortune and returned with a fortune made.” |1|.
These incursions, at first, were concentrated in coastal cities of the North Sea and, as the attacks impoverished these places, the invaders started to use the rivers in the region. Viking ships were fast, which ensured rapid movement in the attacked areas. Later, the Normans began to use horses and establish camps to organize their attacks, which soon increased the range of invasions.
The success of these actions was the subject of study by historians, who attributed it, first, to the surprise effect and the speed of the attacks, as these tactics made it difficult for any type of resistance. Furthermore, there was a great apathy of the Frankish population in fighting enemies. In other words, there was initially no organized resistance against the Vikings. It is important to emphasize that there was no superiority of the invaders in relation to the weapons used, as these were, in general, imported from the Franks.
Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
Viking superiority was therefore tactical, for, as Albert D'Haenens states:
A malleable fleet, vehicle and mobile field; a cavalry that ensured a larger field of action and a better defense: two important assets that allowed the Normans to emerge at the favorable time and place with maximum advantages. tactics. The military supremacy of the Danes, which for a long time haunted the Franks, and which still arouses today admiration, rested on this mobility, which guaranteed the speed of execution and systematic exploration of the effect. surprise|2|.
What was the main target of the Norman invasions?
The main target of the Norman invasions was the catholic abbeys. This is because they were places that brought together great wealth (there were many pieces of gold and silver inside these places, as well as coins) and, in general, they were very isolated and little (or nothing) protected. When they knew that a Norman expedition was approaching, the monks would gather as much wealth as they could, unearth the sacred relics, and flee. This exile lasted, on average, a year.
An example of a Frankish city attacked by the Vikings was Paris, which was besieged and besieged by the Normans twice in the ninth century. The Franks, to avoid an open confrontation with the Danes, often resolved to pay them to leave. This action was called danegeld, that literally meant "Danish tribute."
The end of the Norman invasions
Norman invasions became rare from the 10th century onwards, when frank defenses in the fight against the Danes were improved. Furthermore, in 911, a Norman kingdom was established in northern France and power was handed over to the Danish leader Rollo. In 1066, the Vikings still invaded Britannia, and the English throne was occupied by William the Conqueror.
|1| D’HAENENS, Albert. The Norman Invasions: A Catastrophe? São Paulo: Perspectiva, 1997, p.35.
|2| Idem, p. 30.
By Daniel Neves
Graduated in History
